Safety apparatus for shipwrecked persons



NOV. 2l, GH|RARD| SAFETY APPARATUS FOR SHIPWRECKED PERSONS Filed Feb. 27, 1931 `2 SheeLS-Shee'fI l NOV. 21, 1933. L GHlRARDl 1,936,012'

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR SHIPWRECKED PERSONS Filed Feb. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 git may be easily launched from the decl;

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 PATENr SAFETY APPARATUS FOR kSHIPWRECKEIID PERSONS Luigi Ghirardi, Genoa, Italy Application February 27, 1931, Serial No. 518,805, and in Italy November 8, 1930 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in life saving apparatus for use on ships and the object of the invention is the provision of an improved raft embodying such features of construction that or other part of a ship and, when positioned in the water, will provide a safe and spacious life saving craft.

In the accompanying drawings an improved embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a ship showing the invention applied to use.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enjlarged scale through the life saving craft.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the raft showing the retaining means for one of the protecting members.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View or" the improved the raft rotatably supporting the three buoyant cylindrical bodies 4 and 5, the body 4 being rotatably mounted at 4U. between the axes 5a of the two rollers 5. Flat board-like members 1 and 2 extend between the end members 50 and are lo` .cated between the cylindrical bodies 4 and 5 and constitute the oor of the raft. The space between the floor members 1 and 2 may be utilized for storage purposes and access thereto may be had through suitable openings which are normally closed by the cover plates 3.

Substantially T-shaped members 7 are pivotally mounted at the axes 5a of the cylindrical bodies 5. The stem portions of the members 7 at each side of the raft are connectedby protecting members 6 which, in the position shown in Fig. 3, lie laterally of the cylindrical bodies 5a. Pivoted retaining members 8 having recesses therein to receive the arms of the members '7 are provided and lock said members 7 in adjusted position. The members 'I are adapted to be turned about their axes 5a to bring the protecting members 6 into the upright position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 5. f

The protecting members 6 are retained in their upright positions in which they are arranged @Q The improved rait is mounted on a ship as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is preferably disposed at an inclination soy that, when released, it will freely roll overboard. The inclined supports for the raft are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at l1 and the raft is normally held in position by retaining members l2 hinged at 13 and adapted, when swung outwardly as indicated by the arrow 13 in `Fig. 1, to release the rait and permit the latter to roll overboard in the direction oi the arrow 14 in Fig. 2. pactly stoied aboard a ship beneath one of the usual life boats l5 supported by means of a suitable launching arrangement indicated at 16.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, each of the cylindrical buoyant members 4 and 5 is divided into a plurality of parts. The parts 5b of the bodies 5 are mounted to rotate so as to facilitate launching of the raft while the remaining portions 5o thereof are sta- The raft may, if desired, be comtionary. While the parts 4b of the center cylin- 85 drical body are rotatably mounted, the remaining portions 4c thereof are stationary. In other respects the form of raft shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5.

According to the arrangement shown lin Figs. 96

7 and 8, the life saving rait is normally held in a holder 21 pivotally mounted at 21a and normally disposed in the upright position illustrated in full lines. When released, the holder swings outwardly in the direction of the arrow 22 and to 95 the position indicated at 2l and the raft may freely roll outwardly in the direction or" the arrow 14 into the water.

A further modied arrangement of the retaining device for the raft is illustrated in Fig. 100

raft is arranged to roll on a guide 32 arranged 110 li), a

at an inclination as shown in Fig. 10. In this gure the rotatable cylindrical bodies of the raft are indicated as 4 and 5 and the raft is retained in position by stops 33. The stops 33 form arms of Aa shaft 34 on Which is fixed a lever 36 provided at one end with a Weight 35 normally tending to swing the shaft 34 in a direction to remove the stop 33 from the path of the raft. The opposite end of the lever 36 is engaged by a retaining lever 37 pivotally mounted at 38 and having an extend- 'ed end 39 engaged by a retaining member 40. When the retaining member 40 is disengaged from the extended end 39 of the lever 37, the latter is released and the shaft 34 is rotated counterclockwise under the influence of the Weight 35 

